Luton manager Matt Bloomfield maintains he would use the harsh reaction he received from Town’s travelling fans during and after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Lincoln City as ‘fuel’ to succeed at Kenilworth Road, while still remaining convinced he can re-engage the Hatters’ supporters.

The visitors’ well-below-par, and frankly humiliating, performance at the LNER Stadium saw the hosts grab a merited 12th-minute lead when they were carved open by the brilliant Freddie Draper ball, allowing Ben House to go clean through and easily past Josh Keeley.

With Town struggling to string together any moves of their own in the first half hour, with passes either being over-hit or, on several occasions, going straight out of play, there were audible signs of disappointment from the away end before the half hour mark, with many of the nearly 1,500 in attendance making their way to the concourses with nearly 10 minutes of the 45 remaining.

Town began to show some belated signs of life in the closing stages of the first period, Nahki Wells volleying wide and Jordan Clark’s drive was tipped over by Imps keeper George Wickens, while once Shayden Morris came on after the break, it looked like they might escape with an unlikely point when Clark cleverly turned in Mill Alli’s pass from a short free kick.